Growing Parsley

Interesting Facts About Growing Parsley

So what exactly do you know about growing parsley? Parsley is an herb and it is grown annually. It is actually a part of the carrot family. When it is grown, it can have curled leaves or it can have leaves like a fern. It could also be rooted. This herb is generally used to flavor meats and different kinds of food dishes. However, the curled parsley is generally used in the United States as a way to add color to a dish by using it as a garnish.

Keep in mind that growing parsley can take a while. The germination period of this herb is very slow and this process can take several weeks. You should begin by soaking the seeds in warm water the night before you are going to plant them. You will want to have a nice place outside that you can plant the seeds. This herb does well in full or partial sunlight so make sure you take this into consideration when you are selecting spot. Ideally, you will want to select an area that gets roughly 6-8 hours of sun a day. You want to do this in the early spring and you want to have them in rows that are 10 to 12 inches apart. You also want to make sure that the seeds are approximately 1/2 an inch deep. If you are growing your parsley outside, you want to make sure that you are watering it very well at least one time per week. You never want it to dry out completely in between watering.

Throughout the growing season you can cut the parsley whenever you would like so that you can use it. When the season is coming to an end, in the fall, you can take the herb, dry it, and place it in tight jars so that you can store it. The herb can be dried by spreading the leaves out on a screen or hanging them in bunches upside down. You will then place them in a warm room, out of direct sun. Completing this process will allow you to use it during the winter months. Another option that you have is to transplant the parsley. You will simply take the plant and place it in a pot of soil so that it can be grown indoors. When selecting soil for your plant, keep it moist.

You will want to make sure that it is in a deep pot so that the growing parsley has plenty of room for it’s roots. Also make sure that the pot is able to drain water. Remember that it will also need at least five hours of sunlight a day. Make sure that you have a window where it can be placed so it can grow properly. By doing these things, you will have the opportunity to have fresh herbs for cooking all year round. This is probably best because we all know that fresh herbs taste much better than dried herbs.

There are several other things to keep in mind when growing indoors as well. Parsley does well under standard florescent lights. It does extremely well under high output florescent, compact fluorescent, or high intensity discharge growing lamps. If you choose to use the standard lights, they need to be anywhere from 2 to 4 inches above the tops of the plants. When using higher watt lights you will want to keep them approximately one foot above the plant. You can even run a fan on the herb for roughly two hours a day. This will help stir the seeds.